Existence: Unknown
by HeroesandVillains
Summary: As Loki fights for the domination of Earth, Director Fury calls in another 'hero' to join the Avengers initiative. The other Avengers don't know it yet, but there are definitely more challenging things that the God of Mischief... Very eventual ?/OC
1. Chapter 1 - First Impressions

**AN: This is my first Avengers fic so I'm most likely going to re-write a lot of this. This chapter is set in the middle of 'The Avengers' when Loki has just been captured. I also want to apologise in advance for my inevitable mistakes and typos. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter One - First Impressions<strong>

There was a certain feel of foreboding in the conference room whilst everyone waited for someone to say something. Natasha Romanoff, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Thor Odinson, Dr Bruce Banner and Director Nick Fury were all either sat at the table in the centre of the room, standing, or pacing. The silence that echoed around them was almost intolerable, and no one could think of something appropriate

So when the doors of the conference room hissed open, there wasn't much else for its occupants to do other than draw their attention to the people approaching that were interrupting their 'meeting'.

"Get your hands _off_ me! If I wanted to hurt you, I'd have floored you when you grabbed me the first time," a very angry and vicious voice drifted down the hall, before a woman appeared around the corner with an agent attempting to restrain her.

The first thing that was noticeable about the woman was her striking appearance. Her hair was jet black and cascaded down her back in a thick tangled mess. Her attire appeared to have been once very professional, but the simple white shirt and black pencil skirt she wore were torn in several places and she was missing a belt. Even stranger were her feet, which were bare and filthy. Although the occupants of the room came to different conclusions about her appearance, one thing they all unconsciously agreed on was the total strangeness of the situation. They were all either shocked, unsettled or suspicious.

Director Fury spun around the fastest when she walked in, annoyance and a glimmer of panic in his eyes, clearly not wanting the woman to be seen by anyone. The woman smiled smugly and gave a nod to all the members of the room when she saw the Director's discomfort, "Well isn't this-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the agent had administered some kind of sedative to the woman and she gradually slid to the floor in an awkward sitting position, whilst her shoulders were being held by the agent. Extraordinarily, almost immediately her eyes started to flutter open and the Director wasted no time and took the opportunity the woman's daze provided him to usher both the agent and the woman out of the room almost before anyone could process what on Earth, or Midgard, had just happened.

In the wave of confusion that followed, the remaining members of the room all looked to Natasha who, since she worked for SHIELD, was most likely to know what had just transpired. However, she seemed just as confused as they felt, despite the fact she almost always knew SHIELD's secrets. With a sudden look of recognition in her eyes, she excused herself, rose from her seat at the conference table and hurried over to the door after Director Fury.

There was a whirring sound as the door shut and everyone was suddenly left feeling that Loki wasn't the only thing they had to worry about.

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><p>Her feet were freezing on the tiled floor as the woman snuck around corners, keeping as far in the shadows as she possibly could. She was surprised they hadn't placed an agent on her door with her track record, but she had a suspicion that Fury had let her escape just to see what she would do. The door she found herself standing before was a lot wider than any she had previously encountered and she prayed it would reveal a room that was considerably more useful than the sleeping quarters she had stumbled across so far. There was a slight spark when the woman placed her nails on the control panel to her right and, as the doors powered down, she was forced to physically prise the door open, before slipping quietly inside.<p>

A sigh of relief escaped her lips when she looked around the room and found her surroundings had changed fractionally. The sigh of relief turned to a sigh of annoyance when she realised she wasn't alone.

A man dressed in what looked like a green and black leather tunic was stood in the centre of a glass cage, leering at her. Having seen Thor in the flesh nearly half an hour ago, the woman instantly recognised the Asgardian origin of his clothes and knew this that the person everyone had been making a big fuss about. He didn't look particularly powerful or strong, but she had to remind herself that she didn't exactly look like much, and looks can be deceiving

"I thought I was finished with the interrogations," the Asguardian remarked, his eyes condescending. "It's a pity you're not as skilled as skilled at being silent as the last one."

It took her less than a second to realise this was possibly the worst room she could have chosen. Already the cameras above them had swivelled to point in the woman's direction and she guessed she had two minutes at the most before she was locked up again, "Well this isn't the restroom," she remarked idly, looking around with an almost admiring eye, "impressive, though, would have much rather liked this to have been mine."

The man narrowed his eyes, "Who are you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she deflected, uninterested. Whatever had gotten him locked up was none of her business. Her business was what she was going to do about her current, some would say, unfortunate, predicament. There was another door across from her and the woman wondered if SHIELD were stupid enough to forget about covering both exits… If only.

"What are you doing?" the man asked, impatience slipping into his voice.

She started circling the glass structure the man was trapped inside, looking for something that could help her. "Isn't it obvious?" she scoffed, breaking her search to give him a withering look. "I'm looking for a way out."

"Well you won't find one in here," he countered matter-of-factly.

The woman's eyes slid to an air vent just within her reach and she smiled, "You're right," she approached it quickly, well aware that the agents could be upon her within seconds, "I'd better go."

"Wait," he called out, "I want to know what you're doing here."

"I told you"- she started.

"On this ship."

She paused with the large grille plate that she had just removed from the vent in her hands and smirked, "Ah… a question I'm sure you can quiz my favourite bald pirate about later."

He frowned, "Whose side are you on?"

She hoisted herself up and began crawling and called over her shoulder, "My own."

The woman didn't give the man behind her a second thought as she edged her way through the metal container. She had never been a fan of small enclosed spaces, but she pushed through, knowing she had a much better chance of getting off this… base… by being stealthy than trying to fight her way out.

It felt like hours that she had been shuffling on her stomach when she first heard voices below her, but in reality barley ten minutes had passed. Pressing her ear to the floor, she couldn't believe that the first occupied room that she had come across was the last place she wanted to be found.

The unmistakable voice of Director Fury filled her ears, talking to whoever else was also in the room below her. "Last year earth had a visitor from another planet who levelled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly," he scoffed, "hilariously, outgunned."

She held her breath as Thor's voice joined the apparent argument. "My people want nothing but peace with your planet," the Asgardian defended.

"But your people are not the only people out there, are you?" Fury shot back, cutting Thor off, "And you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched. That can't be controlled. The woman we had locked up? We can't control her. It took a full operation and Level 5 retrieval team to try and bring her in."

She couldn't help the laugh that rose in her throat and she struggled to smother the sound. The man was either deluded, or just desperate to have everyone think he's in control. The only reason they managed to bring her in was because she had gone with them willingly after they threatened one of her co-workers with a gun.

When she was in check of her outburst, she strained her ears to hear to conversation below her once again. An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach at the silence that followed. Before she could quickly move on to the next section of the ventilation system, the metal casing came crashing down and the woman landed in a heap with a thud.

She couldn't be sure who had pulled her down, but when she looked up she was met with the stares of the assassin, god, soldier, billionaire and doctor she had accidently been brought to only a few hours previously.

The first to react was Natasha, who leapt on the woman, gun in hand. Reflexively, the woman pulled the gun away from where it was being positioned against her temple and slid it across the room. A sickening crunch sounded when the woman's face was then smashed to the ground by a seething Romanoff, who had pounced when the woman had been distracted by the gun. Soon after, a feral snarl escaped the woman's lips and Natasha was picked up and thrown a few feet away. Immediately, the woman scurried off and hid behind some kind of workstation, pressing her back against the glass window that displayed the drop to the ground thousands of feet below them.

"I'm not looking for trouble, I swear," she insisted, holding one hand out in front of her, the other to her nose as she wiped away the blue liquid from where it trickled from her nose.

She would have begun to look for another way of escaping, but the glowing sceptre only a few feet in front of her pulled all her concentration. There was certainly something familiar about the energy it gave off, promising safety and protection. It made her lean towards it… if only she could reach out and-

"What is this woman's crime?" Thor asked quickly, drawing the woman from her apparent trance whilst holding back a livid Romanoff.

"That's something that doesn't concern any of you," Fury argued, having seemingly regained his previous authority that had lapsed in the shock of the woman appearing, "She will accompany me to flight deck since she fried her cell."

"I don't know about your laws nowadays, but doesn't she deserve to have some kind of trial?" Steve argued.

"This is none of your concern. You would understand if you knew what she was," the Director argued.

Agent Romanoff cuffed the woman quickly despite her blatant objections.

Fury turned to Natasha, "Agent Romanoff would you also escort Dr Banner back to his room on your way to the flight deck."

Before anyone could respond, there was a bleep from a monitor across the room that signified the energy signature for the Tesseract had been found. Dr Banner moved over to said monitor, Natasha moving with him cautiously, dragging the woman behind her.

"You've located the Tesseract," Thor stated rather obviously.

"I can get there faster," Stark immediately jumped in.

Thor shook his head, "The Tesseract belongs on Asgard. No human is a match for it."

"You're not going alone," Steve reached out to try and grab a retreating Stark's arm.

Stark merely brushed the Captain off, "We need to get there ASAP – you should follow."

That's when one side of the carrier exploded.

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><p><em>Jennifer Hughes: File Missing or Removed<em>

The message blinked back at Tony for over a minute as he sat in his temporary accommodation on the carrier, which he was lucky was still intact after the explosion and the Hulk's attack. The Avengers initiative had been revealed to the others and they were preparing to fly out to meet Loki and stop him from taking over the planet.

He continued to face the screen when Steve strolled in, fully kitted out in his uniform and holding his shield, "Loki's not going to wait for your little bit of research – We need to leave now."

"I have an idea," Tony swivelled around on his chair, "But it's one that you're not going to like."

Steve crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow, silently willing Tony to continue.

"We need to take Hughes," he said.

"The woman from earlier?" asked Steve. They only knew her name after demanding Director Fury to reveal the information repeatedly until he gave in. That was just after the woman, now known as Jennifer, had been whisked away (somehow looking more dirty and dishevelled than she had before) to somewhere more secure than her first cell. Any other information they wanted had been withheld and they were still in the dark as to what was really going on with her. Steve crossed his arms, "The one we know Fury has locked up somewhere?"

"Yes," Tony glanced outside and gave Steve a pointed look, "Shut the door."

The Captain did as he was told and soon Tony had dragged another chair over to the desk he was sitting at, gestured for Steve to sit down, "Before you disagree, take a look at this," he said.

Steve turned his attention to the screen. He was new to any kind of machinery, but he knew that the image on the screen was some sort of surveillance footage. The image was clear – SHIELD certainly didn't cut any corners where its technology was concerned – and as the scene played out before his eyes, he found himself shocked and at a loss for words…

_There was a deafening crash as the Hulk blasted through the grey concrete wall, Thor alongside him, into an aircraft hangar the camera was monitoring. The Hulk was first on his feet, taking a few shaky steps before regaining his balance whilst Thor slowly rose, a look of grim determination on his face. The Hulk let out a roar before taking a swing at the Asgardian. Dodging the blow with surprising ease, Thor managed to strike the green monster across jaw. An enormous green fist drew back in retaliation and tried to slam down on Thor. Thor's hands were soon launched upwards, managing to halt the fist and keep it from crushing him. Then, Thor tried to reason with the Hulk, but was instead greeted with a powerful punch which tossed the Asgardian through heavy boxes, removing him from the camera's line of sight._

_The Hulk, satisfied that Thor was gone for a while, turned towards the remaining agents that hadn't made it out in time. One was trapped in the seatbelt of a jeep and another was trying to cut the trapped agent loose. With another roar, the Hulk charged at the two men, one screaming in a considerably higher voice than the other. Out of nowhere, a small figure quickly sprinted up behind the Hulk and launched themselves at the beast's back. When the furious Hulk turned, trying to shake the person off, the person, or rather woman, was revealed to be none other than Hughes. Hughes clung to the Hulk with her nails dug viciously into his back. Her nails seemed to be suspiciously shiny but before the camera could focus in, there was a strange blue glow emitting from the point her fingers met the Hulk's back. Writhing in pain, the Hulk ripped the woman from his back and tossed her against a wall. She hit the ground hard and managed to sit up relatively quickly, but before anyone could register what was happening, the Hulk smashed his clenched fist down on Hughes with enough force to flatten a small truck. Instead of the splatter of blood that was anticipated, when the Hulk's fist came into contact with the woman's stomach, a blinding blue light exploded from Hughes and the Hulk was knocked off his feet._

_Thor, having emerged only moments before Hughes had attacked, stood frozen in what was presumably shock before he was forced to react when the Hulk turned his attention to the Asgardian, having deemed Hughes too much trouble. Although Thor glanced at the now unconscious woman, he held his hand out expectantly, just waiting. Any person watching the encounter would have been incredibly puzzled but a good few seconds later, without any warning, Thor's infamous hammer, Mjӧlnir, flew into his hands, blasting through walls and boxes and the Asgardian spun around to meet the Hulk, now only metres from him. In one sweeping motion, the Hulk was blasted off his feet with the force of the powerful hammer slamming into his face. The Hulk was thrown across the Hanger by the impact of the blow and landed on a plane, destroying it in the process. _

_Now beyond furious, the Hulk viciously ripped one of the wings from the plane's body and launched it across the room at Thor, who swiftly dropped to his knees, leaning back as the wing flew above him, easily destroying the jeep the agent had been trapped in not only thirty seconds beforehand, crushing the entire top of the vehicle as it passed. Immediately, Thor was on his feet and hurling Mjӧlnir at the Hulk who caught the hammer easily. What the monster was not expecting, was the hammer to continue to fall, bringing him tumbling to the floor. In a confused rage, he tried to lift the hammer to no avail. His efforts caused his feet to sink into the floor, breaking the concrete but still the hammer would not budge. With a swift kick to the Hulk's face courtesy of Thor, the Hulk tumbled backwards. Thor then quickly picked up his hammer from where it still remained on the floor, brought it up and used it to cling to the Hulk's neck. The green monster thrashed about and tried to bat the Asguardian off, but when he was unsuccessful, settled with blasting them both through the roof, where the footage cut off on a surprisingly empty room, Hughes nowhere in sight._

They shared a look, before Steve rose and started pacing, apparently a habit when he was thinking, "Do you know where she is being held?"

"Yes."

Steve checked the door, "How many guards?"

"Three," Tony said with a grimace, "Do you think you can bust her out in time?"

"If we can leave as soon as I have her, then yes. Walk me through the route?"

"Yep. Just keep your comm link open," Tony grinned, "This shouldn't be too difficult."

"Just make sure everyone is ready," Steve said before striding out of the room purposely. He wasn't sure how this would all pan out, but he was pretty sure this woman was just what they needed, if she cooperated.

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><p><strong>AN: I think this is about the third time I've re-written this and I'm pretty sure I'm going to leave this alone now. Sorry if this caused any confusion and I hope you like it.<strong>

**Till next time! :-)**


	2. Chapter 2 - Truth

**AN: I hope you all like this, I'm not confident with what I've done and I hope it's not too confusing. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 - Truth<strong>

_Beep Beep Beep _

There was a rustling sound as the sleeping woman stirred beneath her duvet. A hand was soon thrown to the side in a practiced movement, knocking the alarm clock to the floor where it fell silent. The room, having been briefly illuminated by the alarm's display screen, was plunged into darkness once again and the offending arm retreated into the tempting warmth the bed offered. Jenna had barely slept a couple of hours and she knew five minutes wouldn't do her morning routine any harm. Obviously fate had other ideas.

The baby monitor lit up a brilliant green and sensitive ears were brutally attacked by the wailing of the stubborn infant that was determined to take up all her time. Wasn't it enough to keep her up all night? Nope. Apparently not.

Jenna heaved herself to her feet and stumbled out the bedroom door and through the kitchen, stopping briefly to grab a pre-prepared bottle of baby formula from the fridge and shove it in the microwave, before she shuffled down the hallway with her eyes struggling to remain open.

When she saw the barely eight month old baby clinging to the bars of her cot with a strength that was growing daily, the scowl fell from her face to be replaced by a look of mild amusement. As soon as Jane was lifted into the air, the volume of her cries lowered significantly to feeble whines and whimpers.

It was strange to think that almost twelve months ago, she had been battling an alien army and working alongside America's favourite heroes. But the experience had turned her thoughts to her family and she had returned home. That's when tragedy had struck, leaving three orphaned children and a new kind of responsibility on her doorstep.

"Who wants their morning milk?" Jenna asked softly as she returned to the kitchen, flicking light switches as she went, turning Jane's sniffles into babbles of excitement upon recognising the word for her favourite drink.

It was second nature to prepare the high chair and drop the squirming infant inside, stopping briefly to check the temperature of the milk before handing her the bottle and turning her attention to the two other residents of the flat.

"Charlotte? Lucas? Time to get up," she called whilst sticking her head through the door of their bedroom. From the top of the bunk bed, there was an immediate response and Lucas' head appeared. A groan sounded from the bottom bed and Charlotte turned the other way, pulling covers over her head in an attempt to block out the light from the hallway. Jenna decided she would let her sleep for a little while longer, and offered her back to an impatient Lucas. With a giggle, Lucas clambered onto Jenna and she set off in the direction of the kitchen. Soon the eager five year old was sat next to his baby sister with a bowl of his favourite cereal (it was currently honey cheerios) and Jenna was able to return to the reluctant Charlotte.

"Charlotte?" she asked, entering the room and dropping to her knees, "You need to get up now or you'll be late."

"No. I don't want to," Charlotte said, remaining immobile and facing the wall.

Jenna sighed and glanced at her watch thinking about how much time she could possibly allow for Charlotte to stay in bed, "If you get up now, we'll go for ice cream on the way home from school…" she said, offering a much more tempting option.

There was no movement, then, "You promise?"

"Yep."

"Ok then," she replied, yawning and sitting up, "But it has to be strawberry."

Jenna rolled her eyes but clung to the little girl tightly when she reached across to hug her, "Deal. And if you're lucky you can forget your homework when you get in."

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><p>Darkness was the absence of light. It could turn the most stable man insane with the lack of anything or anyone. Loki prided himself in his mind and never let the conditions of his cell suffocate him like Odin intended them to. He didn't know how much time had passed since he had been thrown into the dark prison that he was so used to, but he knew he had tried to escape exactly 227 times. He was not impulsive and every escape had been thought out and executed with utmost concentration. It was time to try again now his strength and magic had returned to him and this time he would try something new.<p>

Before he began, he couldn't stop the unwanted memory of his mother's disappointment rising to the front of his mind as he sneered at her, bound in chains at the foot of Odin's throne. Guilt twisted inside his stomach like a coiling snake as he remembered his mother's eyes piercing into his very soul and the way he saw the very last hope she had for the son he, deep down, knew she loved dearly, flicker into an icy regret. Hurriedly he pushed the emotion away, leaving a violent anger to rear its welcome head seeing in his mind's eye the way Odin had told him his birthright was to die. The anger spread throughout his entire being before he dismissed it – he needed a clear mind for what he was about to do.

He moved to stand in one corner of the cell (he had paced for so long that he could navigate his way around despite being unable to see) and braced himself. With a deep breath and a roll of his neck, he threw himself at opposite corner and strained his magical abilities to their absolute limit, channelling raw magical energy into the smooth wall. He could feel his efforts sucking all his energy and he involuntarily let out an animalistic cry at the stabbing pain. The fizzing feeling that spread from his fingers all the way up to his arms and the illusion of falling were the last things he remembered before his drained state forced unconsciousness upon him.

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><p>There was a comfortable silence throughout the flat whilst a now fully dressed Jenna washed up the dishes that had been used that morning at breakfast and lunch. Charlotte was at school (after they had arrived with two minutes to spare whilst being glared at by one of the school's principles), Lucas was playing quietly in his room and Jane was fast asleep taking her midday nap. As she rinsed the soapy water off Charlotte's favourite Disney princess bowl, she froze with the flimsy plastic clenched in her hand. She muffled a sob as her thoughts turned to the letter she had received nearly four months ago as they always did when she was alone and, having read it more times than she could remember, was able to recall every word:<p>

_Dear Miss Hughes,_

_It is with great concern and regret we inform you as the legal guardian of Charlotte Andrews that your ward has the rare neurological disorder formerly known as Leigh's syndrome, __caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA. __  
><em>

_Sadly the syndrome is terminal and the prognosis for persons with Leigh's disease is poor. Individuals who lack the mitochondrial complex tend to have the worst prognosis and die within a few years. Most live to six or seven years, but in Miss Andrew's case, you have been lucky. The predicted prognosis for Charlotte is death within two to four years. We have not been able to draw conclusions as to how she has survived this long or her symptoms being non-existent and the results we have seen are similar to children who have experienced different forms of radiation therapy._

_From the next six months to a year, Miss Andrews will gradually develop symptoms including lack of control in her movements and weakening of the muscles leading up to the last months before her death. Then, her condition is predicted to worsen drastically, before her organs shut down._

_We are sorry to have to inform you of this in the form of a letter, but after the accident you left no contact details after moving and we have only been able to get in touch with you after your car was traced to your new address. The blood sample taken from Miss Andrews in her short stay at the hospital revealed the condition but had been processed weeks after your departure, as per regulation with every sample we receive._

_We also write to inform you we are willing to offer any support we can and recommend your next course of action is to keep Charlotte happy in the last years of her life. Until her symptoms begin to show, it is best she has no knowledge of her condition to maximize her happiness and enjoyment of the time before her death. If you need any other information our website is available to you and we strongly recommend you visit us in our Hassenfeld Children's department to discuss possible therapy and living arrangements that include multiple hospices._

_With our sincere sympathy, _

_Dr Mary Saunders of the Neuroscience Department  
>NYU Langone Medical Centre<em>

With a loud crack the bowl snapped under her powerful hold and she blinked, gazing at the fragments mournfully. She would have to but Charlotte a new one today before she took the girl for ice cream after school. Luckily, there were still no signs of symptoms and Jenna hadn't had to talk to Charlotte or Lucas about what the illness meant.

Her sombre thoughts were pushed to the edges of her mind however, when she felt a gentle tug on her arm, "Auntie Jenny, are you okay?" Lucas asked, eyes wide and concern mixed with worry displayed clearly on his face as he looked at the broken bowl.

She forced a huge smile across her face and bent down to face the little boy, "I'm fine, how about when I finish washing these, we go for a walk?" At her nephew's eager nod, she ruffled his hair, "Go grab you coat and put your shoes on and you can pick where we go."

Soon he had disappeared around the corner and on autopilot, she managed to finish up in the kitchen. Next was Jane, who needed waking otherwise she would be too energetic to go to sleep that night. She glided into the room, flicking on the light as she went, causing Jane to wriggle in her sleep. Jenna easily lifted the baby into her arms and began to hum in her ear, watching fondly as Jane stirred from whatever dream had been occupying her mind as she carried her out of the room.

The buggy had already been removed from the cupboard next to the front door by the time Jane blearily opened her eyes, registering the blurry figure that had her wrapped up in her arms. Before she could even begin to cry, Jenna whisked her into the kitchen, fed her, and changed her. Lucas had been hovering around impatiently whilst she carried out the routine she was very used to by now, and with his help in fetching things, they made it out of the door before two o'clock.

"I want to go to the huge park that we went to last week," Lucas immediately blurted out when Jenna had locked the door, "The one with the pond and the twirly blue slide," he added for clarification.

"Central park, again?" she asked, but her smile betrayed her stern tone.

Lucas grinned, "It's my favourite."

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><p>When Loki blearily opened his eyes, he thought he was dreaming. The pain he had felt before he lost consciousness seemed to have had a purpose after all and was not the pain felt as he failed to leave his prison cell, it was the pain that came with success and his escape. The tingling that had run through his arms had been his body passing though the confines of his cell and he didn't know how, but he was now falling. As the ground came rushing towards him, he screwed his eyes shut and curled up into a ball.<p>

Worlds and Realms away, Heimdall closed the newly repaired bifrost and set in motion the events he had foreseen.

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><p><strong>AN: Please let me know what you think, I'm desperate for feedback because I'm not sure if this is ok. Feel free to review or PM me, I would be eternally grateful :-)<strong>

**Till next time!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Negotiations

**AN: It's been far too long since I updated any or my stories and after watching Age of Ultron, I found I needed to write this. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3 – Negotiations<strong>

When Loki first became aware of himself again, he was accompanied with the feeling of being drowned in almost unbearably hot water. With a gasp, his eyes flew open and looked at the plain white ceiling above him, spluttering and coughing before collapsing into what appeared to be a small bathtub, exhausted and unable to move. He closed his eyes again, trying to remember where he was and what he was doing and the memory of the ground rushing towards him flew to his mind. Obviously he was badly injured and as the pain finally kicked in, he tried to call his magic to him to heal himself. Alarmingly, the effort resulted in extreme fatigue that worsened the pain. It was then that he came to two rather startling realisations; Firstly, his magic had been taken from him and presumably in a world where it could not be merely summoned, and secondly, he was not alone.

Despite the black spots that had been clouding most of his vision, he turned his head in the direction of the shadow that must have been present the entire time he had been conscious.

He took in the dark hair and somewhat familiar blue eyes before his eyes flashed and he spat, "You!" his voice not lacking any venom regardless of his weakened state. He barely had time to lift a finger before something hit him on the back of the head. Hard. Then he saw nothing.

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><p>When he awoke the second time, it took him a full minute to realise where he was and who had put him there. Immediately he tried to sit up, but he was pathetically feeble and the numerous blankets piled on top of the bed he was lying in did nothing to aid him. With a grunt, he fell back onto his pillows and contemplated his situation. The last thing he remembered before he was woke to hot water appeared to be his escape from his cell on Asgard. He had no idea how he had ended up on Midgard but his location was as clear as day once he saw who his captor was.<p>

He had first seen her back on the helicarrier when he had been trapped in his glass cage – she had sauntered past him and crawled into a vent before he could glean much of her personality or motives. Then she had been at the battle of New York. The Avengers had called her 'The Entity' and he had glimpsed her fighting on the ground and evacuating screaming mortals. He knew she wasn't an official member of the team and he had to admit, he was curious as to why S.H.I.E.L.D hadn't already arrived to collect him and haul him off to be interrogated, or why she had bothered to bring his critically low temperature up by bathing him and depositing him in a bed.

He cast his gaze around the room, intrigued. The main feature of the room was a large bookshelf, filled to the brim with reference books and crudely bound notebooks, obviously homemade. Aside from a couple of piles of books on the floor that appeared to be the overspill from the bookshelf, the room was neat and tidy. He managed to examine the cleanliness of the carpet and admire the simplicity of the room before he found himself excruciatingly bored and unable to ignore the throbbing pain that he was certain filled almost every part of him.

He was practically human - drained of his abilities and magic and obviously suffering from the cold (which meant whichever part of him that was still frost giant was being contained.) He felt weak, drowsy and helpless – an entirely new experience for him and he was certain he had never felt worse.

With a click, the door to the bedroom opened and in came the object of most of his confusion. The entity stood before him, holding a plate of what appeared to be bread, and a glass of water. She nudged the door closed with her hip and moved towards the bed confidently, as if trying to assert her authority.

"I didn't take you for the kidnapping type," Loki greeted, his usual confidence slipping into his voice in an attempt to mask just how much he was at her mercy.

She placed a tray of food on the bedside table with a bang.

"I take it you're not pleased to see me?" he said, wincing slightly at the loud sound.

Still not making a sound, she thrust the glass of water into his hands with little care and folded her arms irritably.

Loki frowned, "Don't I get a proper name to match the face? 'The Entity' isn't exactly a proper title." As he spoke, he balanced the water on his chest, trying to appear lazy instead of weak because of his difficulty in sitting up to take a sip.

With a sigh, his captor took the water from his hands and helped him sit up. When she handed the water back, he glared but drank the whole glass. It unnerved him that she had seen through him instantly – it meant she would be difficult to deceive and there was no need for him to create the impression he still had some kind of strength.

"Jennifer," she said, taking the empty glass, "Jennifer Hughes."

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><p>The second time she visited Loki, he simply glared. She brought him soup, water and pills, tending to his wounds as if she were merely a doctor and he was her patient. There were scratches and cuts covering most of his arms and Legs, not to mention the painful looking gash that rested just above his eyebrow and the bruises that turned his pale skin purple. All his injuries were easily explained by the shrubbery she had found him concealed in that looked as if he had fallen into on one of her trips to central park with Lucas. First, she had thought of contacting Nick Fury and the other Avengers – if she wanted to find them all she had to do was take a stroll to the Stark Tower, which was being rebuilt – but her second thought had been of her own problems and how Loki would be able to help her in ways that no one on Earth could.<p>

So she had carried him back to her apartment, surprisingly not met with too many curious glances (the way Loki's arm had been slumped around her shoulder suggested he had passed out, drunk) and worked on keeping the Asgardian alive.

The silence she presented him whilst she wrestled with the thought of having the God near her nieces and nephew was reciprocated, preferring to treat him with the utmost caution. She would be lying if she said he didn't unnerve her to some degree. It was his eyes… constantly calculating and suspicious, making him look like he was planning something. He was too weak to move much, but the look of disgust on his face whenever she was near made it clear if he could, he would pull away.

One of the things that had gone surprisingly well, was hiding the other occupants of the flat from Loki. Fortunately, the bedroom had been sound proofed by the previous owners (for bedroom activities that would have disturbed the residents of the flat above and below them) and when Jane screamed until she was blue in the face at 2 am in the morning, Loki was none the wiser. It was dangerous for him to know too much about her or her life – she certainly didn't trust him, but she had to tell herself she was making the right decision.

It was the third time she had visited Loki, bringing him some bread to slowly munch on, when she decided she would give him some answers. After setting down the plate on the bedside table and hauling him into a sitting position, she pulled up a chair and sat across from him, analysing him. He was pale – more so than he had been in New York – and clearly out of the magic he once possessed. His gaze was a fierce as it had ever been, but she recognised the glimmer of defeat. She sighed, "I am sure you are wondering why you are here, and not locked up in a cell in S.H.I.E.L.D?" she asked. She received no verbal response, but Loki visibly looked more interested, and he raised his head from the plate and regarded her thoughtfully, so she continued, "It is in my best interests for you for me to have you as my ally. You obviously need me – you are weak, almost human, and Earth is a difficult place to live in without money, references, and documents. Already you have a roof over your head and food to keep you going, I will continue to care for you, but I will need you to carry out a few simple tasks for me when you are strong once again."

Loki laughed at her demand, making the first sound she had heard since she had given him her name, "Is that what you really think? That I need you?"

"Yes," she bluntly shot back, making the grin fall from his face, "And it's not all I'm offering. I can help you return to Asgard and assist you in restoring your magic."

"What about the demands you require?" he asked, not about to turn down the chance of help, but still very unclear as to her intentions.

Jenna matched Loki's glare with a sincerity that was impossible to ignore, "I need to go to Asgard to obtain an object, and I need you to leave me and whomever I choose alone, if you succeed in taking over the universe, or whatever plan you have in mind after leaving Earth."

"What's to say I won't betray you and refuse to help you at all?" Loki asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take."

A grin broke out on Loki's face and Jenna realised her mistake, "Then that means you're desperate. You need me just as much as I need you," he told her with satisfaction.

"But you still need me," Jenna reasoned, "Finish that meal and tomorrow you can give me your answer. If it's a no, you are no use to me and I'll turn you over to S.H.I.E.L.D – that's a promise. If it's a yes… We'll see."

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><p><strong>AN: I know this is short but I'm still trying to work out what I'm doing with this story, I hope you guys liked it. Please review, I'd love to hear what you think so far.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4 - A Deal is Struck

**AN: I am so so so so sorry this has taken so long to be updated, but I've been struggling with writing recently and I've only just got my act together. I let you get on with this instead of making a list of excuses… Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4 – A Deal is Struck<strong>

Loki spent most of his time sleeping. He needed to rest to recover, but he was quickly realising that the constant fatigue he was feeling was not due to injuries or lack of sleep, but due to his mortal state. He had no idea how humans even managed to get out of bed in the morning if how he was feeling was a normal sensation for a regular human.

The length of time he spent lying awake on his back in the early hours of the morning he contemplated the offer that had been made the following day. On one hand, he was weak, vulnerable, completely clueless about the workings of Midgard, and in need of someone to take care of him. However, on the other hand, _Jennifer _(if that was even her real name) could use him for what she wanted and turn him in without pause, considering her alliance with SHEILD. He was caught in a problem of trust – a problem he had always struggled with.

He wasn't surprised when, as soon as a sliver of light appeared from under the curtain on the other side of the room, the door clicked open and Jennifer stepped inside with another tray of food. In a movement that was quickly becoming routine, she balanced the tray on the bedside table and handed him tablets and a glass of water.

"Have you made your decision?" she asked, getting down to business straight away.

Loki took his time in taking the tablets, which he internally marvelled over considering they were Midgardian and somehow managed to dull the ache in his body, not unlike healing magic. He was also surprised at the patience she showed him because unlike most people, she had not snapped at him for wasting her time. Whatever it was she needed must be something worth all the time in this realm. "I have one problem with your arrangement."

Jennifer rolled her eyes. "Only one?" she mocked.

Loki swallowed his pride and answered as if he hadn't heard her. "What is stopping you from handing me over to SHEILD once I've done as you've asked?"

Curiously, her expression darkened and her hands clenched into fists. "I would gladly tear that organisation down if I could," she answered curtly, before taking a deep breath and continuing in a calmer tone of voice. "SHEILD are only a way for me to get rid of you if you are of no use to me."

"You fought alongside them in New York!" Loki countered, disbelief in his eyes. "You were wearing nothing but torn clothes and fighting with nothing but your bare hands. Don't tell me that's not dedication." He recalled how had glimpsed at her dancing around her alien targets with little regard to her own safety as he flew above on a Chitauri vehicle. She had been full of hatred and used a wild fury to drive her actions, instilling fear even in the largest Chitauri warriors that had faced her.

In contrast, the woman before him had an attitude that still held determination, but also a tiredness that wasn't physical. She inhaled through her nose and sighed. "I fought with them to earn my freedom," she told him. "Once the Avengers thought I was no risk to them, SHEILD could do nothing but let me go or risk the Avengers getting involved… Think what you like but it changes nothing of your condition. You were banished here-"

"I escaped!" Loki cut in, defensive. He would be a fool to think that accepting this deal would be easy, but it was looking like his only option.

Obviously sensing the debate would last longer than she had hoped, Jennifer dragged a chair from the side of the room and positioned it next to the bed. "It doesn't matter how you got here. You still don't have your magic, strength or your immortality. By staying here, I know SHIELD won't find you anytime soon."

"How could you possibly know that?" he argued, shooting Jennifer an incredulous look.

"Because they haven't found me yet."

What followed her statement was a silence that stretched out for nearly a minute. Their gazed locked and they both tried to stare the other down. Eventually, Jennifer broke eye contact and looked down, massaging her temples.

Loki surprised her by removing the defensive tone from his voice. "If I accept this deal… I want to know how you'll help me regain my powers."

"I'll let you look for a portal to Asgard where you can get your magic back and help me find what I'm looking for."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Deal."

"Seriously?" Jennifer questioned, not expecting an answer. "I would've thought you'd drag this out at least another day." She paused whilst Loki rolled his eyes. "I have to say I'm impressed. You're a lot smarter than your brother gives you credit for."

"Ha, ha," Loki replied, the sarcasm in his voice impossible to miss.

Jennifer got to her feet and put the chair back in the corner of the room. "I'll bring you some soup and bread later," she told him, to which Loki nodded curtly in reply.

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><p><em>The pain was so intense, so all-consuming, that he no longer knew where he was. White-hot knives were piercing every inch of his skin and he was certain his head was going to burst in agony. Not caring if it made him look weak, Loki threw his head back and screamed at the top of his lungs whilst laughter filled his ears. His blood was boiling, he was sure – he could feel the fire spreading through him with every beat of his heart bringing him closer to the long awaited loss of consciousness.<em>

_He began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. He writhed on the stone floor like a drowning man, thrashing and howling in pain. Then suddenly the inferno was gone and he was left to shiver, welcoming the cool surface beneath him. What was a better way to torture a frost giant other than heat?_

_Then a foul breath was next to his ear, breathing down his neck. "Honestly Loki, what made you think you could escape me?"_

"Loki!" he gripped the fabric beneath him, separating the dream from reality.

With a gasp, Loki shot up from his sweat drenched sheets and bit back a scream. His heart hammered in his chest as he struggled to separate the dream from reality. The darkness surrounding him only contributed to the blind panic he was feeling as he gripped the fabric beneath him. _Where was he?_

From somewhere in front of him he heard a rustling and before he could cry out, a lamp flicked on to the right of him and he saw Jennifer.

"It was just a nightmare… You're safe here," she gently told him, before leaning back from the lamp switch.

Before he could respond, he lurched forwards and emptied the contents of his stomach into a bucket that Jennifer had already prepared. It was a few minutes before he finally pushed the bucket away and even considered the water he was being offered. When his breathing had evened out, he reached forwards for the glass but was shaking so badly he couldn't grip it properly.

Slowly, Jennifer pushed his hands away and brought the water to his lips instead. Wordlessly, he gulped the cool liquid down until the glass was empty.

Silence echoed around the room when Jennifer left with the bucket and Loki rubbed his temples in an attempt to rid his head of the pounding inside. He was so shaken he didn't care what Jennifer thought of him – his mind was reeling from his dream and the possibility it might come true. At least when he had been on Asgard, locked in his prison, he had been protected. Now he was vulnerable and easier to locate. The thought of the Other and Thanos finding him was terrifying and it was the only thing Loki truly feared.

The click of the bedroom door announced Jennifer's return. In her hands a new glass of water that he accepted graciously.

"How often?" she asked softly.

The God of Mischief grunted and laid back down, setting his second empty glass on the bedside table. "Once or twice a week," He muttered.

She merely nodded in reply and got up to scan the bookcase on the other side of the room. "You're going to have to go back to sleep or your recovery will be set back by a good few days," she advised. Not waiting for a response, she pulled a small volume from the shelf and faced the god of mischief. "I normally," she broke off for a second, "would suggest reading."

Sighing, Loki decided to give Jennifer the woman's theory a go and plucked the book from her grasp. Who was he to resist a book? He scanned the worn cover half-heartedly, taking in the forlorn looking face set into a blue background. "_The Great Gatsby?_"

"Be careful with it," she warned. "It was one of the first books I read and that copy is quite old."

He pursed his lips. "I'll let you know what I think."

Jennifer took that as her que to leave, and this time Loki welcomed the silence. He wondered what it would be like in the time before he regained his magic. The last time he had suffered through a nightmare like the one he had just experienced, there had been no one to wake him up.

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><p><strong>AN: On that note, I think this chapter is over. Poor Loki :'-(<strong>

**I'm hoping to update my chapters a lot more often than I have been previously, but the more reviews I get, the quicker I'll post the next chapter ;-)**

**Please let me know what you think, I'm desperate for feedback on this because so far not many people have shown an interest in it.**

**Till next time!**


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